The Australian Research Council (ARC) congratulates Professor Matthew Bailes for being awarded the 2023 Shaw Prize in Astronomy for his role in discovering fast radio bursts.
Professor Bailes, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Gravitational Wave Discovery, was named a joint winner, along with two other scientists who worked on the discovery.
ARC Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Richard Johnson warmly welcomed the news, noting that the Shaw Prize recognises the major contribution Professor Bailes is making to science generally and to astronomy in particular.
"The ARC is proud to have provided grant funding to Professor Bailes' research activities since his Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship awarded in 1993. Since this time, Professor Bailes has received a number of ARC competitive grants which has enabled him to build and develop his excellent research program," said Dr Johnson.
As Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery, Professor Bailes spearheads Australia's involvement in one of the most fundamental scientific endeavours of our time, using gravitational waves to expand our knowledge of physics, the universe, and the nature of ultra-dense matter.
Fast radio bursts are among the most mysterious phenomena in astronomy, being intense bursts of radio emission that last only a few thousandths of a second and that release as much energy as the sun emits over several days.
The Shaw Prize consists of three annual prizes in the fields of Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences. These are considered amongst the world's most prestigious awards, each bearing a monetary award of AUD$1.84 million.
